So often, it’s easy to look at someone else and think they look amazing and should be happy with their body. However, this is not the way it works. We all have to be comfortable in our own skin, and just because someone might be super fit, does not mean they don’t have something they want to change about themselves. For some women having smaller breasts can often cause feelings of self-consciousness, and even if you have a partner who is happy with your body and your boobs you can still want more to feel more “voluptuous” or sexy!
Kaiya is a woman who although she has a supportive and loving husband and family had always thought it would be awesome to have some more boobs! Kaiya shares, “I had always been unhappy with my ‘less than an A-cup’ sized breasts. I loved the size that I became when breastfeeding so it was my intention that once I was done having babies and breastfeeding, I would eventually have breast augmentation done. Shortly after my 4th baby’s first birthday I started to get back into my fitness pretty seriously. I was attempting to run 8+kms 3 times a week and doing short sessions of High Intensity Training Workouts or Bootcamp sessions. Things that I have always loved doing… but have found after each baby was born my body wasn’t bouncing back as easily and, this time round, I was experiencing significant lower back & pelvic pain along with embarrassing incontinence, no matter how many pelvic floor exercises I did! My GP suggested I see Dr Gavin Sandercoe to discuss repairing my abdominal muscle separation as one part of the solution. Perfect! I figured if I was going to have a procedure done by a plastic surgeon I’d go for one surgery and one lot of recovery, so I went along to see Dr Sandercoe for a ‘Mummy Makeover’.”
Mummy Makeovers can include a few different procedures, depending on the patient. We ask Kaiya what was involved in her surgery, “I had abdominoplasty & breast augmentation. Dr Sandercoe repaired my 4cm abdominal muscle separation by stitching my abdominal muscles together. He also removed some excess fat from my abdomen & did some liposuction around my flanks. He then removed the excess skin from my ‘mummy tummy’ and stretched the good skin down. He gave me a new belly button & then filled my breasts with an implant that filled my stretched skin from breastfeeding”.
Whilst we always suggest you are prepared for surgery by doing your research and knowing what to expect and what may or may not occur in your recovery, there can often be unexpected trials or hurdles along the way. So, did Kaiya have any?! “On day 3 post op, I had a fainting spell in the shower and fell out of the shower chair. I grazed my top lip and knocked one of my front teeth quite badly. It wasn’t my finest hour! Apart from that, my recovery was great and I was back at work at 2 1/2 weeks post op.”
Wow, we here at the Hub think that’s amazing. For such a surgery where you are having more than one procedure, that’s a great recovery time! It really pays to do your homework and listen to your surgeon when it comes to what to do (and what not to do!) at every stage in your recovery. Of course, it helps if you have a highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeon like Dr Sandercoe!
We asked Kaiya if looking back at her plastic surgery journey there was anything she would have done differently, or any advice that she had for anyone looking at a similar procedure. “I have an au pair and lots of family support so I had everything covered in terms of looking after the kids post op. The only downside that I hadn’t really considered is that my youngest, who was 21 months old at the time, really couldn’t understand that Mummy wasn’t able to do all the things that he was used to. We had a few moments where he became very upset because it was Daddy or our au pair picking him up when he really wanted Mummy to! I found that hard. My 3 1/2 year had complete understanding and was very aware of the need to be gentle with me. So from my experience, I think it would it have been easier on my family, in the early weeks of recovery, if my youngest was a year or 2 older. Having said that, I don’t regret having had the procedure when I did”.
Kaiya has already told us she had Dr Gavin Sandercoe from Bella Vista in NSW perform her surgery. Does she feel he did everything he should have along the way? “Dr Gavin Sandercoe was fantastic!”
We asked Kaiya how she feels now in comparison to how she felt before the surgery, and if she got the results she was after? “I feel great! I am extremely happy with the results. My clothes fit better, the muffin top and excess mummy tummy is gone. I don’t need padding to fill a real bra!”
Does this mean Kaiya would look at having any further plastic surgery procedures? “Nothing in the near future, but I wouldn’t rule out having some face work done as I get older.”
Kaiya says her friends and family have been great. “Everyone acknowledges the toll that having 4 babies can have on a woman’s body and have been really supportive.”
We think Kaiya looks absolutely amazing – her photos speak for themselves – and we here at the Hub thank her for sharing her story. We think Kaiya is an inspiration for any of us who might have smaller than average boobs, or indeed those of us with one kid or four who might need that extra motivation that we can do it too!
If you would like more information about Dr Gavin Sandercoe you can read about him here or phone his office directly on 1300 112 358 to arrange a consult.